ID old stag knife? (And old Ka-Bar!)

[mikerjf]

Wondering if anyone can tell me anything about this good 'ol knife. It has a personal connection... I found it in the Ontario wilderness next to a portage trail on a fishing trip with my dad when I was about 10.

Also any advice on cleaning the blade. This has been sitting lost in the back of a drawer for 45+ years and just turned up.

***Adding: Another family knife. I occasionally used this one when I was a kid, before I had my own. I remember my dad once telling me it was his old Boy Scout knife.

Looking online, I see Ka-Bar had an actual "#598 Boy Scout knife", that looks an awful lot like this one... but the #1205 is similar too (pommel is different). Blade is just under 5".

There's a nice #598 on youtube, his says "KA-BAR REG.U.S.PAT.OFF." on the right side. Mine has the same "KA-BAR REG.U.S.PAT.OFF." on the left side in a slightly different font and does not have the "UNION CUTLERY OLEAN NY" on the opposite side like his does. Neither knife has the visible Boy Scout emblem shown in the sales literature, probably worn off.

Any comments for identification/dating? I'm guessing dad would have bought this around 1937-1940.

 

[andy52]

To me it looks like a handmade knife or blacksmith made. If you want the blade super clean soak it over night in vinegar "blade only" not the handle.

 

[gwpercle]

Looks "smith" made , do not clean it down to bare metal , clean off rust and grime but leave the "patina" on both the blade and aged stag .
You buff it all off and a lot of character is lost .

My granfather was a black smith and made almost all the kitchen and hunting knives we used ...very common back then .
Nice knife don't "over clean" it ... looks good as is , add a little TLC and don't stuff it back in that drawer !

After looking at the photo again ... the blade might be a from a old factory knife , the handle and guard look "not factory" ,
any marks on the blade ?
Gary

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Looks like a traditional knife except that Guard.
Don't recall ever seeing one like that before!
Does it look the same on the other side?
Possibly a commercial knife with new scales, added guard?
Not a fan of stripping old blades to bare metal.
Maybe some rust patina removal.
Possibly Vinegar Pickle.
Here's my 40 year old GI Knife which I regularly use in the kitchen.
This is just after it was Pickled.

 

[mikerjf]

Closely examined, no marks anywhere... hilt is same on both sides, and is same thickness as tang. Handles don't really look professionally "shaped" at the ends.